BILLY 3 – GLASS HOUSES

July 24-25, 1980 (2 shows) Glass Houses
Photo credit: Kevin Mazur

July 24-25, 1980 (2 shows)

Glass Houses

Billy Joel had sold out five shows at Madison Square Garden the month before, but he wanted to give Long Islanders a taste of the “Glass Houses” tour on their home turf. He turned two shows at the Coliseum into benefits for Charity Begins at Home — which his then-wife Elizabeth had just started to run full-time as she stepped away from managing Joel’s career — and sold those shows out as well. It was a heady time. “Glass Houses” was in its sixth week at No. 1 on the albums chart and “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” had just started its two-week run atop the singles charts.

By the numbers

  • Prime ticket cost $25
  • Total number of tickets sold for both shows 32,000
  • Amount distributed to various LI charities $600,000
Set list

He did ‘The Stranger,’ ‘Honesty,’ ‘I Love You Just the Way You Are.’ That was really unbelievable to be sitting there listening to him play. — Adrian Kaplan Rosen, Syosset

‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’ is the song by which many will remember the summer of 1980. — Wayne Robins, Newsday, June 25, 1980

Comments

SET LIST

(July 24, 1980)

You May Be Right

Only the Good Die Young

My Life

Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)

Piano Man

Summer, Highland Falls

Zanzibar

She’s Got a Way

Stiletto

The Stranger

Don’t Ask Me Why

New York State of Mind

Prelude/Angry Young Man

Sleeping With the Television On

She’s Always a Woman

Just the Way You Are

Sometimes a Fantasy

Big Shot

It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me

ENCORES:

All for Leyna

Scenes From an Italian Restaurant

Souvenir